January 18, 2012 via: Markham Economist and Sun
Residents in Markham’s south Unionville may finally see a resolution to the parkland deficit in their neighbourhood.
A vote to undertake an appraisal of two properties, of about 3.6 acres total, to complete the South Unionville Park was carried by the town’s development services committee Tuesday.
The current value of parkland in south Unionville is estimated at $800,000 per acre by the town’s real property manager.
At this rate, the outstanding two properties in question and designated for parkland would cost about $2.9 million.
Unionville Councillor Don Hamilton said he’s pleased for the residents.
“The parks are their summer playground and daily recreation facility,” he said. “We finally have all participants in the process pulling to resolve this issue.”
Mr. Hamilton said the appraisal will allow the town and the property owners to negotiate the sale of the parkland at a fair market value.
“Right now, neither side knows what an acre of land is worth,” Mr. Hamilton said, adding while it’s usually the responsibility of the developers’ group to provide the parkland, the town has cash-in-lieu monies to help buy the parkland if necessary.
Other options include expropriation.
“We’d rather not do that,” Mr. Hamilton said.
He said the town knew all along there is a deficit of parkland in south Unionville, where land ownership was highly fragmented with numerous smaller individual parcels — about 64 separate owners, most of them non-developers, in the early stages of the secondary plan process.
Acquiring the two properties to complete South Unionville Park would mean tennis courts and an additional full-size soccer field and swings for the community. Currently only one full-size soccer field exists.
And with the Unionville Meadows Public School, the only school in south Unionville, adding more classroom space and parking this year, it provides more incentive to have extra parkland nearby, Mr. Hamilton said.
Resident Flora Wen agrees, saying existing parks in the area are full most of the time and don’t have enough facilities to entice children to go outside and play.
“I really don’t want our kids to grow up like that — they already play too many (video) games,” Ms Wen told the committee.
Deputy Mayor Jack Heath expressed his desire for a timely resolution.
“I don’t want them to be in high school by the time we acquire the lands for the facilities,” he said. Asif Khan, ABR
Re/Max Hall of Fame
Re/Max Chairman's Club
Re/Max All-Stars Realty Inc., Brokerage
905-888-6222
Residents in Markham’s south Unionville may finally see a resolution to the parkland deficit in their neighbourhood.
A vote to undertake an appraisal of two properties, of about 3.6 acres total, to complete the South Unionville Park was carried by the town’s development services committee Tuesday.
The current value of parkland in south Unionville is estimated at $800,000 per acre by the town’s real property manager.
At this rate, the outstanding two properties in question and designated for parkland would cost about $2.9 million.
Unionville Councillor Don Hamilton said he’s pleased for the residents.
“The parks are their summer playground and daily recreation facility,” he said. “We finally have all participants in the process pulling to resolve this issue.”
Mr. Hamilton said the appraisal will allow the town and the property owners to negotiate the sale of the parkland at a fair market value.
“Right now, neither side knows what an acre of land is worth,” Mr. Hamilton said, adding while it’s usually the responsibility of the developers’ group to provide the parkland, the town has cash-in-lieu monies to help buy the parkland if necessary.
Other options include expropriation.
“We’d rather not do that,” Mr. Hamilton said.
He said the town knew all along there is a deficit of parkland in south Unionville, where land ownership was highly fragmented with numerous smaller individual parcels — about 64 separate owners, most of them non-developers, in the early stages of the secondary plan process.
Acquiring the two properties to complete South Unionville Park would mean tennis courts and an additional full-size soccer field and swings for the community. Currently only one full-size soccer field exists.
And with the Unionville Meadows Public School, the only school in south Unionville, adding more classroom space and parking this year, it provides more incentive to have extra parkland nearby, Mr. Hamilton said.
Resident Flora Wen agrees, saying existing parks in the area are full most of the time and don’t have enough facilities to entice children to go outside and play.
“I really don’t want our kids to grow up like that — they already play too many (video) games,” Ms Wen told the committee.
Deputy Mayor Jack Heath expressed his desire for a timely resolution.
“I don’t want them to be in high school by the time we acquire the lands for the facilities,” he said. Asif Khan, ABR
Re/Max Hall of Fame
Re/Max Chairman's Club
Re/Max All-Stars Realty Inc., Brokerage
905-888-6222